CINCINNATIJohn Mayberry Jr. got another start in left field for the Phillies on Monday night as Raul Ibanez continued to recover from a left groin injury.
I thought about playing Raul, manager Charlie Manuel said before the game against the Cincinnati Reds. But I talked to head athletic trainer Scott Sheridan and he feels Raul needs to move around some in the outfield first. We want to see how he can run first.
Ibanez, who has not started a game since Aug. 21, did some running and agility drills in the outfield before the game. General manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said Ibanez responded positively.
He ran well, Amaro said. Hes pretty close.
Even before Ibanez was injured, Mayberry had taken over a good chunk of playing time in left field. Mayberry entered Monday nights game hitting .308 with a combined on-base and slugging percentage of 1.008 since the all-star break. In the same span, Ibanez hit .231 with a .671 OPS.
Manuel is reluctant to say how he will handle assignments in left field for the rest of the season, but it has become clear in recent weeks that the job has become a platoon. Manuel did say he will use Mayberry occasionally in center field to give Shane Victorino a rest. The Phillies were set to begin a stretch of 33 games in 31 days on Monday night.
Rollins update
Jimmy Rollins also tested his injured groin muscle before game. He did some agility drills and fielded some ground balls. He is eligible to come off the disabled list on Sept. 6, but may need more time. The Phillies always take a cautious approach with Rollins legs and they want to make sure he remains healthy for the postseason.
MLB
Roster ruminations
Amaro said he does not plan to add significant reinforcements from the minors when rosters expand on Thursday.
Probably not unless we have an urgent need, he said.
Triple A Lehigh Valley is in a playoff race and Amaro would prefer to keep that team intact and let players finish their seasons before bringing anyone up. Amaro was noncommittal when asked if Domonic Brown would come up.
He needs at-bats, Amaro said.
Wednesday midnight marks the deadline to make a waiver trade for a player and have that player be eligible for the playoffs.
Amaro was asked if he believed he would make a deal.
Doubt it, he said.
He was asked if he had any irons in the fire.
Not really, he said.
Keep in mind that Amaro isnt one to tip his hand even if he was working on something.
The guys that could help us dont have much of a chance of getting through waivers, Amaro said.
The Phils also do not have much payroll flexibility as they are close to reaching the luxury-tax threshold of 178 million.
E-mail Jim Salisbury at jsalisbury@comcastsportsnet.com.